Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | Italian |
Born | Aosta | 10 November 1962
Sport | |
Country | Italy |
Sport | Athletics Ski mountaineering Skyrunning |
Event | Mountain running |
Achievements and titles | |
World finals |
|
Bruno Brunod (born 10 November 1962 in Aosta) is an Italian athlete, a bicyclist who began running late, when he was in his thirties. He is twice world champion of the Skyrunner World Series and holds numerous speed records for climbing and descending some of the highest mountains in the world, like the Matterhorn in 1995, broken only in 2013 by a professional 25 years younger than him, Kílian Jornet Burgada. As of 2016[update] his speed records for the Monte Rosa in 1997 and the Aconcagua in Argentina in 2000 remained unbroken. Brunod produces results like a professional athlete, but has retained the spirit and humility of an amateur, for which he is widely admired especially amongst fellow mountain runners.
Brunod grew up in the Aosta Valley. When he was 16 years old, a tourist gave him a bicycling magazine and he began dreaming of bicycle racing wanting to emulate his fellow countrymen Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. It was not until his military service, that Brunod could afford and start bicycling. He entered an amateur team in Brianza. Thanks to his talents he was able to cycle with Claudio Chiappucci, double runner-up of Giro and Tour de France in the 1990s. Brunod left bike racing soon[1] moving far away from the world of doping.[2]
He returned to his career as a mason, specialized in stone facings and roofs, and took up running in the mountains as a diversion.[3][4] After 3 years of preparation, he set a record of climb and descent of the Matterhorn from Breuil-Cervinia in 1995 and continued to do so over the next 10 years. (see section "records")[3]
In 2005, he attempted a record ascent time of Mount Everest with a project named Everest Vitesse 2005, but had to stop after about 16 hours, at camp 3 at about 8.200 meters.[5]
In 2012 he wrote the introduction to the book Perseverare è umano by Pietro Trabucchi.[6]
After a pause of about 7 years, dedicating himself to his family and job, he returned to running in 2013.[7]
In 2016, his autobiography was published with a foreword by Kilian Jornet Burgada.[2]
Brunod is married and has five children. Kilian Jornet has noted his humility and said "To me and all the rest of mountain runners, he is God".[8]